Ticats can do no wrong in 52-0 rout of Bombers

First stringers against second stringers proves to be a mismatch

Looking good

A young Hamilton Tiger-Cats fan is hoisted to celebrate a touchdown during second-quarter CFL pre-season action against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Guelph on Thursday. The Ticats won, 52-0.

Romp

Barry Gray,The Hamilton Spectator

Hamilton Ticats Emmanuel Davis, left, runs with the ball after a fourth-quarter interception. The Ticats excelled in all aspects of the game in their 52-0 pre-season romp over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Hamilton's new Guelph home.

We know that the Ticats blasted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 52-0 on Thursday night in the final pre-season game of 2013. We know that Lindsey Lamar, who returned a punt for a TD for a second straight game, has made the team. We know that Raymond Brown (three picks, including one returned 115-yards for a touchdown) and receiver Greg Ellingson (two catches, 84 yards and a score) and Erik Harris (one interception and a fumble recovery) have made strong cases for themselves.

We know that starting offence, which played the first half, looked pretty good. Quarterback Henry Burris threw for 198 yards and two scores on 13 of 17 passing — with no interceptions. We know that the defence, which played their starters for roughly the same period as the offence, looked stingy and opportunistic, creating nine turnovers (including two in the red zone.) And posted a shutout.

"The guys played hard again, the defence really stepped up," said head coach Kent Austin. "Hopefully we can carry that over into the regular season."

We know that the Guelph experience might actually be pretty good: early reviews from fans were bordering on effusive. It's fun to watch your team kick some serious behind, no matter where you are. It was fun for the players too.

"It felt great. The crowd was just rambunctious. They were loud, they were excited, there was a lot of energy," Burris said. "They were on Winnipeg just like Hamilton Tiger-Cat fans are known to be."

What we don't know: how much this beat down is really worth when it comes to figuring out how good this Hamilton Tiger-Cats team actually is.

The Blue Bombers brought just 41 players to Guelph — one less than the roster limit for the regular season, never mind the usually bloated rosters of exhibition play — and were without a single marquee player. Their No. 1 quarterback, Buck Pierce didn't even make the trip and many of the players in the Bomber line up may have just played their last professional.

"They brought who they brought, I can't control that," said Austin. "We play the game we want to play."

Still, the Ticats did what they had to do — play the 12 men in front of them to the best of their ability. When guys are playing for jobs, it's hard to tell them to hold back and if the score continues to climb because of it, well, that's the consequence of leaving your starters at home.

And it wasn't all good news for the Ticats. The first unit offensive line gave up two sacks and, as they were last week in Montreal, penalties were again an issue with the defence taking two 15-yard majors in the first half alone. There was a fumble on special teams. Those will have real consequences next week.

"There were a couple of times he was a little rusty but he settled in the second quarter," Austin said of Burris. "A good veteran will always come back and make plays and he did."

But the defence as a whole barely resembles the unit that staggered through last season. Defensive co-ordinator Orlondo Steinauer seems to have injected new life into to both the scheme and the personnel as they pummelled the hapless and error-prone Bombers at pretty much every turn.

More good news: kicker Luca Congi was perfect on three field goal attempts and punter Josh Bartel demonstrated his usual array of boomers and funky wobblers, most of which settled deep in Bomber territory. Like the offence and the defence, the Ticats special teams looks ready for the regular season.

There's a little more training camp business to conclude, however, and it will rub the shine off this win quickly for some of the participants: cuts are coming. The team has until 10 p.m. Saturday to finalize their roster, though it's expected they'll be completed earlier.

"We understand there are going to be some tough decisions. It's unfortunate," said Austin. "We have some players and that's a good thing."

Hamilton opens the regular season next Friday against the Argos in Toronto and then, and only then, will we know if this remarkable resurgence is a pre-season mirage or the real deal.

"We take the little things that we didn't do as well and get ready for Toronto," said Burris. "That's going to be a huge game for us."

Notes: Austin is now a perfect 4-0 in the pre-season during his CFL head coaching career. He led the Riders to a 2-0 record in 2007, when they went on to win the Grey Cup. Attendance in Guelph was announced at 12,732 — just shy of the 13,000 capacity.